WHO to update recommendations on diagnosis of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy

The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to update its recommendations on the screening, diagnosis and classification of hyperglycaemia during pregnancy

New evidence shows the need for clearer, more widely applicable approaches.

Hyperglycaemia in pregnancy affects an estimated one in six live births, equivalent to around 21 million births each year.

The condition can include diabetes that existed before pregnancy, diabetes first diagnosed during pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which develops during pregnancy.

New evidence prompts review

Identifying the type of diabetes or hyperglycaemia during pregnancy can be challenging, particularly in countries where many women may have undiagnosed diabetes before becoming pregnant.

High blood glucose levels during pregnancy are associated with a range of potential health risks for both mothers and babies. These include hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, stillbirth, excessive birth weight, low blood sugar in newborns and birth injuries. There may also be longer-term health consequences.

Early detection and accurate classification are therefore important to help ensure women receive appropriate care and monitoring.

WHO’s existing recommendations on the diagnostic criteria and classification of hyperglycaemia first detected during pregnancy date from 2013. Since then, additional research has provided new evidence on how women could be screened and diagnosed.

Guideline group to review evidence

A WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) will meet from 20 to 24 October 2026 to review the available evidence on screening and diagnosis of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.

The review forms part of WHO’s wider work to address non-communicable diseases during pregnancy and improve maternal and newborn health outcomes globally.

The updated recommendations are expected in 2026 and will build on WHO’s first recommendations on the care of women with diabetes during pregnancy, published in November 2025.

Public invited to review experts

WHO has published short biographies of the experts selected for the GDG, along with information on declarations of interest submitted by the proposed members.

As part of its compliance, risk management and ethics procedures, WHO has assessed potential conflicts of interest to support transparency and protect the credibility of the guideline development process.

The organisation is also inviting members of the public to review the experts and stakeholders involved and provide feedback if they believe a member has a significant conflict of interest related to the group’s work.

Feedback should be cordial and constructive and can be submitted to srhmph@who.int.

The upcoming GDG meeting will be held by invitation only.